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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Phoenix Chamber, Phoenix House, Tiverton

Contact: Sally Gabriel  Member Services Manager

Link: audio recording

Items
No. Item

14.

APOLOGIES AND SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS (00-01-57)

To receive any apologies for absence and notices of appointment of substitute.

 

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Cllr P J Heal who was substituted by Cllr C J Eginton and B A Moore who was substituted by Cllr R B Evans.

15.

VICE CHAIRMAN

Minutes:

In the absence of the Vice Chairman, Cllr P J Heal, the Chairman requested that someone volunteer to stand in for the meeting. 

 

Cllr R B Evans took the role of Vice Chairman for the meeting.

16.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS UNDER THE CODE OF CONDUCT

Councillors are reminded of the requirement to declare any interest, including the type of interest, and reason for that interest at each item.

 

 

Minutes:

Members were reminded of the need to declare any interests when appropriate.

 

17.

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME (00-03-25)

To receive any questions relating to items on the Agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.

 

Note:   A maximum of 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

 

Minutes:

Ms Stannard referring to Item 1 (School Lane, Thorverton) on the Plans List stated that as has been said many times, the applicant cannot demonstrate any genuine agricultural justification for widening this access.  He has other points of entry to his fields. The proposed entrance is on an industrial scale both in terms of size and construction.  Planting nine blackthorn and whitethorn shrubs along the entryway as shown in the latest drawing of June 12th is just “putting lipstick on a pig”. My question is: “How can this application be approved when Mid-Devon’s own report “Thorverton Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan of 2015” singles out School Lane as a ‘character area’”?

 

Maps 6 and 7 show School Lane up to and including the proposed access as part of the historic core of Thorverton and one of several important open spaces and views in and out of the village. Map 8 names School Lane as one of five Thorverton character areas. School Lane is described (and I quote) as an early, narrow route to Brampford Speke...this part of the conservation area has a rural, tranquil character. The following quote from the Local Plan Part 3 (2014) Policy DM27 sums up an observation made by many Thorverton residents: “The historic environment is an asset of great cultural, social, economic and environmental value. It contributes significantly to our quality of life and the character of the district, representing a non-renewable resource that once lost is gone forever”. 

 

Mr Trump again referring to Item 1 (School Lane, Thorverton) on the Plans List stated that I live at The Lodge in the Conservation Area , opposite the proposed new field entrance.   I am very worried by this scheme.

 

Firstly I am not at all convinced of the agricultural need for this new entrance,  as the applicant has managed, perfectly satisfactorily for  the last five years with the existing entrance.

 

The latest proposal to do away with the Devon bank and substitute it with a wide tarmac drive and splay is completely out of character with the existing environment in the lane.  This is a narrow Devon country lane  - not an urban road or an industrial site.  The planting of a few  blackthorn and white thorn bushes where the bank has been cut away  is not going offset the  dreadful appearance of the tarmac.  I understand that the Conservation Officer's preferred scheme is from the original plan but that had all the problems with eliminating  the passing place  for large vehicles and a kerb build -out into the lane for the splay, reducing the width even more.

 

In my letter to him, I drew Mr Devereaux's attention to the fact that the plan has conveniently ignored the bend in the lane, which  must affect the visibility aspect.  I hope Members, in their preparation for this meeting have looked at the photo attached to Mrs Gillian Bathe's objection letter which clearly shows the bend and the narrowness of the  lane, which also gives  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

18.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING (00-12-54) pdf icon PDF 158 KB

         To receive the minutes of the previous meeting (attached).

 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 May 2018 were approved as a correct record and SIGNED by the Chairman.

 

 

19.

CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS (00-13-59)

         To receive any announcements the Chairman may wish to make. 

 

Minutes:

The Chairman informed the meeting that Sue Warren and Paul Dadson (Conservation Officer) were both retiring after long service with the Council.  The new Conservation Officer, Greg Venn was in post and she looked forward to welcoming him to a future meeting.

20.

ENFORCEMENT LIST (00-14-55) pdf icon PDF 43 KB

To consider the items contained in the Enforcement List.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the cases in the Enforcement List *.

 

Note: *List previously circulated; copy attached to signed Minutes.

 

Arising thereon:

 

a)            No. 1 in the Enforcement List (Enforcement Case ENF/18/00114/LB –   Urgent and appropriate repairs to the Grade II* Listed Building part of the Manor House Hotel are required in order to preserve it and prevent damage arising from decay and potential poor underlying structural integrity of parts of the Fore Street frontage – Manor House Hotel Part) at 2 Fore Street, Cullompton).

 

The Area Team Leader outlined the contents of the report explaining the need for a Repairs Notice to be served on the property to prevent further damage and decay to the building.  She highlighted the planning history of the property and the fact that it was already registered as a building at risk.  There were also issues outstanding from a previous Repairs Notice which required attention. Members viewed photographs of some of the damage and the areas which required attention.

 

Consideration was given to:

 

·         The other courses of action that could be taken to force the owner to complete the required works

·         The fact that work was taking place on site at the moment

·         The need to maintain pressure for the works to be completed

 

RESOLVED that the Group Manager for Legal Services and Monitoring Officer be given delegated authority to  issue a Repairs Notice under Section 48 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 specifying the works reasonably necessary for the proper preservation of the building.

 

(Proposed Cllr Mrs H Bainbridge and seconded by Cllr  R L Stanley)

 

Note: Cllr T W Snow spoke as Ward Member.

 

 

21.

DEFERRALS FROM THE PLANS LIST

To report any items appearing in the Plans List which have been deferred.           

 

Minutes:

There were no deferrals from the plans list.

22.

THE PLANS LIST (00-29-14) pdf icon PDF 369 KB

To consider the planning applications contained in the list.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered the applications in the plans list *. 

 

Note:   *List previously circulated; copy attached to the signed Minutes.

 

(a)       Applications dealt with without debate.

 

In accordance with its agreed procedure the Committee identified those applications contained in the Plans List which could be dealt with without debate.

 

RESOLVED that the following application be determined or otherwise dealt with in accordance with the various recommendations contained in the list namely:

 

(i)            No 5 on the Plans List (18/00445/RSM- Reserved matters for the erection of 3 dwellings, Land adjacent to 25 Cowley Moor Road, Tiverton) be approved subject to conditions as recommended by the Head of Planning, Economy and Regeneration.

(Proposed by the Chairman)

 

Note:  Cllr R L Stanley declared a personal interest as a Director of 3 Rivers Developments Limited and chose to leave the meeting at this point whilst the vote was taken thereon.

 

(b)            No 1 on the Plans List (17/01716/FULL - Widening of the existing access to agricultural land - land at NGR 292482 101905 – School Lane, Thorverton).

The Principal Planning Officer outlined the contents of the report referring to the statements made in public question time and stating that he would cover the issues raised during his presentation.  He highlighted the views of the Conservation Officer, the additional letters of objections and the landscape plan which were available on the update sheet and presented the history of the application; that of the original application, the site visits that had taken place and the revised scheme for a new single access which would widen the existing access.  The presentation highlighted the aerial view of the site, the location of the field, the position of the existing access, the location plan, he identified the footpath exiting the Glebe, the highway plans, the bend in the lane, the vegetation that would be cut back and the additional plan which showed the landscaping proposals. He explained that the application  would allow the applicant to travel north from the site, rather than south and having to take another route to travel towards the home farm.  He explained that the other accesses to the field were also via very narrow lanes with limited visibility.  He felt that the current proposal was a betterment.

 

Consideration was given to:

 

·         The number of objections to the application

·         The size of the field

·         The number of trips on a daily basis from the field

·         Whether the other access should be considered

·         The views of the objectors with regard to road safety issues and the impact on the visual amenity, the misleading plans previously submitted, the narrow blind bend, the impact on the Conservation Area and the number of people who used the lane

·         The views of the agent with regard to the reasoning for the application, the fact that the access to the field would be improved and the views of the Highway Authority

·         The views of the Ward Member highlighting the road safety issues and the environmental impact of the application on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

23.

MAJOR APPLICATIONS WITH NO DECISION (2-31-35) pdf icon PDF 21 KB

List attached for consideration of major applications and potential site visits.

 

Minutes:

The Committee had before it, and NOTED, a list * of major applications with no decision.

 

It was AGREED that:

 

Application  18/00786/MFUL – Higher Road, Crediton  - be determined by the Planning Committee and that a site visit take place if minded to approve.

 

Application 18/00705/MARM – White Cross, Cheriton Fitzpaine be determined by the Planning Committee

 

Application 18/00680/MFUL – Hartnoll Farm, Tiverton - be determined by the Planning Committee and that a site visit take place if minded to approve.

 

Note: *List previously circulated; copy attached to the Minutes.

 

 

24.

APPEAL DECISIONS (2-38-41) pdf icon PDF 6 KB

To receive for information a list of recent appeal decisions.

 

Minutes:

The Committee had before it and NOTED a list of appeal decisions * providing information on the outcome of recent planning appeals.

             

Note: *List previously circulated; copy attached to signed Minutes.

 

 

Update Sheet pdf icon PDF 93 KB